Tributes flowing for Qld barrister Cedric Hampson

A man dubbed a legal powerhouse has died in Brisbane. Queensland's leading barrister Cedric Hampson's stellar career included representing police at the landmark Fitzgerald Inquiry, into corruption.

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ELEANOR HALL: Tributes are flowing for a Queensland barrister, whom colleagues are calling a legal legend.

Cedric Hampson QC was a Rhodes Scholar whose career included representing the Queensland Police Service at the Fitzgerald corruption inquiry.

Maria Hatzakis reports.

MARIA HATZAKIS: Cedric Hampson QC is regarded by his peers as a legal powerhouse.

The 81-year-old was a Rhodes Scholar, studied law at Oxford University and in 2012 Pope Benedict awarded him a Papal Knighthood.

Former Queensland solicitor-general Walter Sofronoff QC says Mr Hampson was one of the best legal minds in the country.

WALTER SOFRONOFF: He was the smartest and hardest man at the bar during his time. He was like a bare knuckle fighter.

You can't argue with a bare knuckle coming at you. You can avoid it, you can deflect it, but if it hits you, it's truth hitting you full square.

Cedric was the only person that I ever worked with and worked against who truthfully was fiercely independent and powerful in court.

MARIA HATZAKIS: Mr Hampson's stellar career included representing police at the landmark Fitzgerald inquiry into corruption in Queensland.

He was a former president of the Bar Association and was Queensland's most senior barrister for 31 years.

Speaking to the ABC in 2011, Mr Hampson explained the responsibilities of his job.

CEDRIC HAMPSON: No, you don't have to believe in the innocence of your client. What you have to do only is to believe that he's got a good defence, that he's got a defence in other words that may well succeed. That's all you have to do.

You might dislike him intently and suspect deep in your heart, if you're allowed to think of such a thing, that he probably did it, but indeed you're bound to go ahead and defend him to the best of your ability on the basis that he is innocent.

TERRY O'GORMAN: In the early 80s I was arrested by the head of the special branch when I was performing my role as a legal observer and Cedric Hampson represented me in the Magistrates Court on a charge of obstruct and I was found not guilty.

And that's a measure of the sort of bloke he was. He was at the height of his career and yet he was prepared to find time and represent without fee a very, then very junior lawyer on what for me was a very important matter but clearly for him he had much bigger and much more pressing cases.

MARIA HATZAKIS: For the legal legend, the highlight his career was simply helping people.

CEDRIC HAMPSON: I've spent a lot of time, when I've been at the bar, helping young barristers or helping young solicitors with their problems.

I've always kept an open door, that's been my policy. If they've got a problem I said, well I'll see you this afternoon or whatever and we could normally work them out. Often it was just the fact that they were new and unused to doing it.

But I think that was one of the things that I'm quite proud of, in fact - the amount of time I spent over the years assisting young practitioners.

MARIA HATZAKIS: Mr Hampson is survived by Catharina, his wife of 55-years, and their four children and 10 grandchildren.